Governor Katie Hobbs signed a new law that will change the way possible child abuse is reported in public schools.
Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said up until this point, many child abuse investigations were not being handled correctly.
In a statement, Michell said, “My office has received far too many reports of a child who told a teacher or School Resource Officer (SRO) what had happened to them, but the case couldn’t be pursued because there were so many errors in the way the interview of the child was conducted, or the investigation was handled. Now, we have a law that sets forth a precise process so we can advocate for and protect these kids.”
Her office says if you work closely with children, there is a good chance that you are on the mandatory reporter list, meaning you must contact police and the Arizona Department of Child Safety. Parents are also mandatory reporters.
The law also means:
- School employees are required to directly report any abuse allegations directly to a law enforcement agency and the Department of Child Safety
- Mentioning a concern to a supervisor is not sufficient
- Mentioning an incident to a school resource officer (SRO) also does not satisfy the reporting requirement
- Student victims must be interviewed by specially trained forensic interviewers rather than school administrators, teachers, counselors, or an SRO
- Allegations of abuse against school personnel, including any third-party contractor, must additionally be reported to the Arizona State Board of Education within three days
For more details about the law, click here.
To contact the statewide toll-free child abuse hotline, call 1-888-767-2445.
